Law dept to review KIIT land allotment

The CAG had pointed out that CMD, IDCO had permitted mutual transfer of land of seven allottees to KIIT during Oct 2010 to Dec 2011 at the concessional rate prevailing in the industrial estates at the time of application resulting into an undue benefit of Rs 66.25 crore to KIIT

Bhubaneswar: The state law department will examine the issue of allotment of 14 acres of land to city based Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT). This was decided at a meeting of the high level land acquisition committee, chaired by state chief secretary, Gokul Chandra Pati, here today.

"It was decided to refer the allotment of 14 acres of land to KIIT to the law department. The additional chief secretary (revenue) was asked to place the matter again since a controversy had erupted over it," Vishal Dev, secretary, industries department told media persons after the meeting. Dev is also chairman cum managing director of Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), the nodal land acquisition agency of the state government.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Bijoy Mohapatra had raked up the issue of irregularity in allotment of land to KIIT.

Mohapatra had alleged that the state government had regularised the land which was under the unauthorised possession of KIIT in favour of the institute.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had pointed out that CMD, IDCO had permitted mutual transfer of land of seven allottees to KIIT during October 2010 to December 2011 at the concessional rate prevailing in the industrial estates at the time of application for mutual transfer by recovering the differential land cost (Rs 3.79 crore) instead of recovering the same at the benchmark value (Rs 70.04 crore) of land as decided by HLAC. This had resulted in an undue benefit of Rs 66.25 crore to KIIT due to the arbitrary decision of the CMD, IDCO.

In addition, the purpose for which the industrial land was to be used was also permitted to be changed by IDCO, in violation of the original lease deeds signed with transferer industries, CAG had noted.

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